~ Stuck in Traffic, Thinking of Food

Travels in Jordan:More street food

Sufara Shawarma StandThe Sweifieh shopping distract ended up being my favorite haunt. Located by sixth circle, there are a multitude of shawarma, spice, bread, and candy stores dotting the landscape of high-rises. Drew took me here after Reem so I could see a difference between the styles of cooking. While Reem is the more popular, Arab style, I actually liked this food stand better.

Chicken Shawarma with pickle

Beef Shawarma

First off, they have a chicken option, for those trying to avoid beef. If you go for the chicken, they put in a pickle, which is amazing (and i hate pickles!) along with the sauce. The juiciness and flavor of both the chicken and beef shawarma was noticeable. Another cool part of this store was the glass case of rotisserie chickens roasting in the windows. I watched them remove on rack, break it down, and move it to the grill for what I assume would give it the final, grilled flavor that made the shawarma so fantastic.

ManakeeshSo I’ve started referring to these as Pita Pizzas. This one store (also in Sweifieh) bakes at least 10 different varietities, all for about 1JD. The basic ingredient is a pita, with any number of toppings, baked in a pizza oven. We tried halloumi, za’atar, salami and cheese, turkey and cheese, and then a meat mix which I think was lamb. Coming fresh out of the oven, the pita folds in half and it’s best eaten right away.

Halloumi in front, za’atar in the back, and salami to the right

The store front

Unlike shawarma, which involves wrapping a ton of meat around a spic, these are relatively easy to try at home. First, buy some good, fresh pita (from a bakery or homemade if you can), and then top them with whatever and toast in a oven at pizza heat (450-500 degrees) until cheese is melted or meat is cooked. I’m definitely looking for halloumi when I’m home—and with my Christmas present of za’atar from Alicia handy, I’ll let you know how they turn out!